The Potters
by ExpectoHPotternum
Summary: How did Lily fall in love with James if she hated him so much? What would happen to Voldemort if the Potters were expecting him? What would Harry's life be like without his lightning bolt scar?
1. Patronuses

Lily really didn't know why she was still here. What in the world possessed her to even agree to meet him here? Hadn't she already agreed that he was an arrogant toerag? Well in actual fact Lupin had convinced her to come. She trusted him. They had been friends since year five. Before she could contemplate leaving a magnificent stag rounded the corner.  
"Prongs?" she whispered. The stag bowed its head. Everyone knew about Moony, Wormtail, Padfoot and Prongs; the four marauders who wrecked mischief at Hogwarts and never got caught. No-one knew who they were, though Lily had shrewd idea. The stag transformed into James Potter and Lily glared at him. She hated that this arrogant toerag was a beautiful stag.  
"What?" she snarled.  
"Easy! I just wanted to tell you that Severus and his gang are planning to torture some first year muggle borns tomorrow night." He sounded wary.  
"You're a liar! You hate Severus! You're framing him, I know. I'm not stupid Potter." She spat the last word. James looked wretched.  
"Please I'm telling the truth-"  
"No you're not!"  
"Well if you change your mind take this," and with that he thrust his invisibility cloak into her hands and disappeared around the corner. Lily stared at the cloak for a long time, before heading back to the Gryffindor common room.

"All right class!" called Professor Zulpo, "Today we will be doing patronuses!"  
An excited whisper went around the class. James turned to grin at three other boys. Only Sirius returned the smile. Peter was sweating and Remus was still listening to Professor Zulpo.  
"Come on Wormy we've done Patronuses before! They're easy." James said.  
"Yeah but my patronus has only ever been a mist," squeaked back Peter. Sirius opened his mouth to comment but was interrupted by Remus.  
"Shut up all of you!" James and Sirius shared mocking grins but didn't speak.  
"I don't expect any of you to be able to conjure a corporeal Patronus on your first go so don't be disappointed if nothing happens at first. Remember, think of happy thoughts." Before long the class was full of shouts of "_EXPECTO PATRONUM" _but the most anyone got was silver mist.  
"Shall we shake things up a bit?" asked Sirius laughingly. Remus had moved over to Lily Evans, so not to be distracted by his friends and Peter had his tongue between his teeth, his face going slowly red, as he concentrated on his spell. Sirius looked around for James but James was busy looking at Lily. He really wanted to see what Lily's Patronus was. He had read that Patronuses can change and take the form of another under certain circumstances. Sirius sighed and stared longingly at the dungbombs in his pockets. James meanwhile was trying to sidle closer to Lily so he could get a better look at her Patronus.  
"Where are you going Potter?" James whirled around to see Severus' hooked nose inches from his own.  
"Snivellus keep your abnormally large nose away from my face please, or I will curse it."  
"Will you now Potter?" he sneered. James raised his wand but before he could utter a word, there were gasps and James and Severus both turned to see a silver doe standing in the middle of the room. Out of the corner of James' eye, he saw Severus sag. Imagining Lily marrying him, James conjured his own Patronus and urged his Stag over to her doe. He heard Severus hiss. Then two other Patronuses joined his and Lily's. A great, big dog and a rabbit came over. James glared at his two friends. Remus and Sirius waved from the corner grinning from ear to ear. Lily's doe vanished and she stared, aghast at his stag. Then she turned and left the room. James' stag disappeared and he went after her but not before seeing the satisfaction creep up on Severus' face.

"Lily! Wait!" panted James.  
"Why do our Patronuses match?" She stopped so abruptly that James walked into her.  
"Uh because, well because-"  
"James Potter, lost for words? Now I've seen it all!" Her scorning tone made James flush.  
"It must be because you like me!" At the last minute he had changed from love to like. He wouldn't embarrass Lily further. As it was a dull flush crept across her cheeks.  
"How do you know- No! Did Remus tell you?" James was so startled that she hadn't defied him that he nearly missed what she said next.  
"Listen, Potter, you leave me alone. I don't want anything to do with you. You, always hexing students in the corridors, trying to make yourself look cool! I hate it and I hate y-"  
"I haven't hexed anyone since that day by the lake!" interrupted James pleadingly. Lily opened her mouth, and then closed it again. He was right, he hadn't. In fact he had been downright nice to everyone and had hardly pranked anyone, much to Sirius' disappointment. Except he still hexed Snape, but Lily hadn't really cared as much since Snape had called her a Mudblood. She stared at James for a long time and then sighed. James using her silence as an advantage opened his mouth to speak again.  
"If you're lying about Severus, Potter, I will never speak to you again. If you're right, well it pains me to say this, but I really have started liking you." And hiding her grin Lily left, leaving an opened mouthed James in her wake. 


	2. Unforgivable Curses

Lily was cursing James Potter's name as she waited on the fourth corridor for… nothing. How could she even have believed him? He hated Severus. Did she like him that much, that she had forgotten what an arrogant toerag he was? She turned and was striding back down the corridor, when she heard voices. She froze, before remembering she was under James' invisibility cloak.  
"Well, well if it isn't Potter." Lily went rigid. _Severus.  
_"Give me my wand," James growled.  
"No, no Potter. I'm going to repay you for all those times you've humiliated me." Severus said silkily.  
"Get on with it Severus," a voice, Lily recognised as Avery's, said.  
"I'll meet you there Avery. Potter and I have some unfinished business to, ah, discuss." Lily heard the contempt in Severus' voice. Avery's footsteps thudded away.  
"I can't believe you fell for my ruse. Torturing first years! Under Albus Dumbledore's very nose?! My, my Potter, you aren't all brains after all. Not as smart without your friends or your broomstick now, are we?" Lily clenched her fists tightly. How had Severus disarmed James?  
"Where was your invisibility cloak tonight Potter?"  
"You're a coward Snivellus. You had to use Avery and Dolohov to pin me down before you dared disarm me." James spat in Severus' face.  
"You'll pay for that! Crucio," screamed Severus. Lily's screams were drowned out by James Potter's agonised howls. "No one here to save you now Potter," panted Severus, a mad gleam in his eye. Lily knew she had to do something. She looked around wildly but the fourth corridor was the only corridor in Hogwarts that had nothing in it. There was nothing for it. She would have to curse her best friend. Trying to think how in love Severus had become with the Dark Arts, since he had hung out with Avery and his gang, she raised her wand. A wave of fresh screams from James Potter made her raise her wand higher. Right then a loud crashing noise came from the end of the corridor and someone began singing.  
_Old Filchy is mad  
Because Peevsie's been bad  
Mrs Norris is stuck up in a tree  
Poor cat is now gone yip-yip-yipee!  
_Lily saw Severus look up and then dash down the corridor away from Peeves' voice. "Petrificus Totalus," screamed Lily. Severus went rigid and stiff as a board. Then he toppled over and landed flat on his face. Lily could hear Peeves zooming towards them. She hurried over to James who was still conscious. "Evans" he whispered. She pulled off the invisibility cloak just as Peeves came around the corner. This was a bad move as Peeves said "What do we have here? Looks like Little Miss Perfect used an Unforgivable Curse on Potter. We all know how much she hates him. And she has stopped another prefect from reporting her. Naughty, naughty!" And before she could stop him Peeves opened his mouth and shouted "EVANS USED AN UNFORGIVABLE CURSE!" Soon the corridor was full of students and teachers.

~  
Lily found herself in Professor Dumbledore's office along with James and Severus. Severus kept shooting her apologetic looks. Lily wouldn't look at him. Severus had explained all that had happened and had taken all the blame but Lily could never forgive him. "Twenty points from Gryffindor each, for being out of bed," said Professor McGonagall firmly.  
"But Professor that puts Slytherin in the lead!" complained James.  
"Not for long Potter," said Professor Slughorn, "120 points from Slytherin for using an unforgivable curse and detention with me every Friday night for the rest of the year Snape."  
"You aren't expelling him?" asked McGonagall incredulously  
"No I'm not and it remains with the head of house to decide what happens with his students. Severus will not be expelled. Potter is not exactly innocent here either Minerva" stated Slughorn.  
"Potter never used an Unforgivable Curse on Severus! Never! Surely, Albus, you can do something-"  
"Alas, Minerva, Horace is right. And anyhow I do not think Severus ought to be expelled. But I must impress the consequences of his actions upon him." Dumbledore's gaze penetrated Severus but he didn't look away. Finally Professor McGonagall said "Evans, take Potter to the hospital wing and then go straight to bed, you as well, Severus." The trio got up and walked away. As soon as they were out of earshot Severus turned to Lily. "Lily please forgive me! It wasn't all that it looked like."  
"All that it looked like? So, what? Potter was screaming for no reason? I heard what you said Severus and if you don't get out of my way I'll hex you!" And Lily, supporting James, stalked off, leaving a dejected Severus in her wake.  
~

"Hey Prongs!" James awoke to Sirius and Remus sitting on his bed.  
"Where's Wormtail? Why isn't he over my sickbed too?"  
"He has detention for not completing the transfiguration homework, McGonagall set us."  
"Where's Evans then? I thought she'd be here."  
"She was. Said something about your wand and left two minutes ago."  
"Tell us what happened Prongs." Moony was more concerned about James' health than his love life. By the time James had finished explaining his story (where he valiantly fought Snivellus and his gang from kidnapping Evans and then ended up being tortured before kneeing Severus in the face, cursing his remaining gang and saved Evans) Lily arrived. "Your wand" she said breathlessly.  
"Now listen James" James smiled at the sue of his first name "Just because of what happened last night, it doesn't mean anything" James' smile faded a little "I'll be your friend, and yours too Sirius, but can we hold off from boyfriend/girlfriend for a while? I don't think I'm ready for that yet. Maybe next year?" James' smile was back. Soon after Lily left.  
"Mate, if you don't stop smiling you might split your cheeks open. Then you will look really ugly!" Sirius ducked as James threw his pillow at him.


	3. A Moonlit Adventure

"Where's 'Tuney?" Lily asked her parents  
"Oh she's with Vernon. She didn't want to come. You know how she doesn't really like this… stuff" said her mum.  
_That's an understatement_, thought Lily, _she hates all us freaks!_ Aloud Lily said "I wish she were here. This will be the last time I might see her. After this year I will be joining the wizarding world and it's not safe for me to come and visit you, what with Lord Voldemort at large." Lily watched her parents nod and found it amusing that they didn't flinch at the sound of the Dark Lord's name, as so many wizards did. Lily waved to her parents and turned to face the Hogwarts Express. This was it, her final year. She checked to see that her Head Girls badge was on her robes and then began heaving her trunk onto the train. She hauled it down the train looking for a free compartment. She passed Severus and his gang of would-be-Death-Eaters and she felt a pang until she remembered what had happened last year and stalked off, ignoring his wave. All summer she had been ignoring him, much to her sister, Petunia's, pleasure. She came to a compartment at the end of the train and found James, Sirius and Peter. "Where's Moony?" she panted, putting her trunk safely in the compartment. Ever since she had started hanging out with the Marauders she had been using their nicknames. "I don't know" drawled Sirius "He must have gotten lost." Lily rolled her eyes and looked at James. He grinned at her then shrugged his shoulders innocently. Lily got up in a huff and left. She had hoped that Moony had been made Head Boy with her. She got to the prefect compartment dreading who would be sharing Head of school with her and imagining if it was Severus. Wincing slightly she opened the compartment door. "Moony!" she screamed with delight.  
"Lily! I was so worried about who would be Head Girl with me. Imagine if it was Olga Parkinson, that girl from Slytherin!" Lily laughed as Remus shuddered. They patrolled the corridors until lunch time then returned to their compartment to find Sirius in his dog form, eating through all the food while James rolled around on the floor laughing. Lily and Remus exchanged looks. "Really mature boys." She said sarcastically while Padfoot jumped up and down and tried to lick her face. "Where's Wormtail?" asked Moony mildly. "Oh, he said something about a cousin starting this year that he had to see" said James in an off-handed manner. Lily frowned but said nothing. Something sounded distinctly off about this comment. Sirius meanwhile was barking and trying to chase his tail. "You should make your dog form permanent Padfoot" joked James  
"The tail I could live with" said Sirius, transformed "But the fleas, they murder." James and Remus mouthed the words behind Sirius' back. Lily looked at them quizzically. "Prongs asks Padfoot the same question at least one hundred times a year and Padfoot always has the same answer." Remus replied. "Here comes trouble" muttered Sirius. Lily looked around to see Severus, backed up by Avery and Dolohov. The four friends all stood up.  
"Well, well if it isn't dog breath and pot head. Oh look and the werewolf too!" Severus whispered menacingly.  
"Don't forget the Mudblood" Avery spat. Severus winced but said nothing. Behind her, Lily heard James hiss and saw Remus hold Sirius back  
"Don't you dare call her that you filthy piece of slime" James growled. He raised his wand  
"Get lost Snivellus" Lily murmured. She saw the flash of hurt cross his face at the sound of his hated nickname. She didn't care  
"The Mudblood spoke to me" said Severus "I feel contamin-"  
"FURNUNCULUS!" screamed Lily just as James, Sirius and Remus all yelled "RICTUSEMPRA, TARANTELLEGRA, FLIPENDO!" Avery fell about laughing and Dolohov flew backwards and was knocked unconscious, while Severus sprouted boils on his face and began to dance wildly.  
"Well that was interesting" said Sirius after they had heaved and dragged the three Slytherins to an empty compartment.  
"Moony I never expected you to jinx anyone! Even if it was a lame jinx. Flipendo? Really?" asked James  
"It knocked him out didn't it?" repeated Moony  
"Well Evans, welcome!" said Sirius brightly  
"Oh we are in so much trouble! I can't believe I did that!" moaned Lily  
"Wait a sec!" said James mischievously. He darted out of the compartment and returned ten minutes later. "There, now when the teachers asked what happened they'll say they dueled each other."  
"But they'll be in heaps of trouble!" gasped Lily  
"They called you a Mudblood" James said. Lily opened her mouth to argue with him and then closed it. She shook her head and settled down to wait out the rest of the train ride and feeling like the sun had entered her chest.

The whole seventh year was whispering about James Potter and Lily Evans. James smiled to himself and held Lily's hand tighter. Then quickly loosened his grip in case it was too tight. This hand holding business was much harder than he'd thought. He still couldn't believe his luck! He had Lily Evans and Slytherin had already lost forty points for dueling on the train. James was taking all the same N.E.W.T's as Lily and Padfoot and Moony were both taking the same classes as him. Wormtail wasn't in any N.E.W.T classes as his grades were too low. "Ok class, today we are brewing a batch of Living Death" boomed Professor Slughorn. James turned to Padfoot and grinned.  
"Reckon we could slip Snivellus some?" asked Sirius. James looked over at Lily who was glaring at them.  
"Yeah, but when Evans isn't looking." James saw Lily stiffen. "Kidding Lils!" he said hastily  
"No you weren't" muttered Sirius when everyone had begun potion brewing and Lily was distracted. James grinned and began to brew the Draught of Living Death. After potions the foursome had a free period where Lily and Moony both began their potion homework and James played exploding snap with Sirius. By the end of the day both James and Sirius hadn't even started any of their homework much to Lily's aggravation.  
"Don't you care about your N.E.W.T's?" she asked grumpily after the third week of leaving their homework late.  
"Course we do Lils!" said James, mock seriously and then bending down over his transfiguration essay. By mid-week Lily was so frazzled and Moony became more and more irritable. James and Sirius were the only seventh years who were still playing exploding snap and Quidditch while still finishing their homework every night. Then something happened to make James and Sirius even happier and Remus and Lily even sourer. The full moon. Lily couldn't come because she wasn't an animagus and Moony wouldn't let her come because he might accidentally bite her. James wouldn't let her come either. Only Sirius wanted her to come. "The risk would make it fun! Plus we can control Moony if he gets too out of hand." He said that night  
"NO!" said James and Remus together. James shuddered to think of what would happen to Lily if he let her come. Remus left to go to Madame Pomfrey and James and Sirius followed in the invisibility cloak. Wormtail was waiting for them by the Whomping Willow. James and Sirius reached the Whomping Willow and waited for Wormtail to press the root that would freeze the tree. Once the tree was frozen they transformed and followed the rat down the tunnel and came into the shrieking shack. James looked into the yellow eyes of the werewolf that was Moony as he recognised each pack member Then, the wolf deeming them all part of his pack, the rat scurried away to curl up and sleep. James rolled his eyes. Wormtail was always sleeping these days. Padfoot barked and James pawed the ground. He felt very powerful in his stag body. He bent his head and charged, crashing down a wall of the shrieking shack. Padfoot and Moony both walked out and James followed. They walked through Hogsmede until they came to the Forbidden Forest. They could just make out Hagrid's hut. Padfoot and James urged Moony passed the house. After a few hours of chasing each other and allowing Moony to catch and ravage a giant acrumantula spider, James noticed Padfoot stiffen. Moony also looked up, an odd gleam in his eye. The only time James had ever seen him look like that, was when Severus had come to try and see what they were up to. He only looked like that if a human was nearby. He nervously pawed the ground. He had a feeling he knew who it was but he didn't want to believe it. Padfoot barked sharply and Lily Evans appeared from behind a tree. Padfoot growled and James snorted; half in fear and half in anger. He also felt a little impressed that his girl had come out after dark and broken a lot of school rules to join their wanderings. Mostly, though, he was mad. Didn't she realise that she could be bitten? Moony wasn't Moony anymore. James heard Moony howl behind him. Lily looked determined. Then she closed her eyes. What was she doing? James looked frantically at Padfoot. They couldn't change back because then Moony would bite them and then they would be no help to Lily. She had opened her eyes again and James saw she was scared. Behind him, James felt Moony leap towards Lily. Without thinking, he jumped in front of her and brandished his antlers at the werewolf. He felt one snap. Padfoot was barking. James urged Lily onto his back and then galloped away, leaving Padfoot to fight with Moon y. He heard yelping and then quiet. He almost turned back but then his stag instincts over powered him. He was being stalked, hunted. _Moony,_ he thought grimly. He dropped Lily at the edge of the Forbidden Forest then turned and threw Moony away from her with his antlers. Moony growled. This was the first time his pack had betrayed him and James knew he was very angry. "Impedimenta!" James heard Lily scream. He shook his head, which was now missing both antlers (he hoped next time he transformed he would get them back). Those spells wouldn't work on a werewolf. They were like dragons, only being hit in the eye would stop them. Moony lunged at James again, biting some of his shoulder before he could throw him off. He heard Lily scream something else but couldn't hear what over the pain in his shoulder. Moony froze, then scampered off. James knew he had to transform but the pain was blinding. He saw a blurry shape appear before him and thought it was Moony. Then slowly the pain receded leaving him free to transform. Before him stood Lily, face white as bone. Just as he opened his mouth to lecture her, she fainted and he caught her just in time. He carried her back to the shrieking shack and then went off to find Padfoot. It wasn't easy to find a great black dog in the dead of night. Somewhere he heard Moony howl. Finally he found Padfoot, unconscious not far from Hagrid's hut. After he dragged Padfoot back to the shrieking shack also he went back to find Moony. If he left him in the forest he might venture into the castle, looking for more humans. But no matter how close he got Moony would just ignore him. He was still angry about his pack's betrayal. James finally had to leave him because Moony nearly bit his shoulder again and this time there was no Lily to heal him. He returned to the shrieking shack and repaired the wall. Then he turned to find Sirius transformed, both he and Lily conscious. Wormtail was still asleep. Lily looked defiant. "Explain yourself" he said, trying to control his anger  
"Well I wanted to come too! I didn't know Moony was going to be like that!"  
"He's a werewolf for crying out loud what do you expect!" cried Sirius before James could say a word. Lily glared at him. "I thought you wanted me to come."  
"I was JOKING" burst out Sirius  
"Lils you could have been killed!" interjected James before Lily and Sirius could continue bickering. He saw her shoot him a determined glare.  
"Then I want to be an animagus too!" Sirius' mouth was hanging open. James felt a little stunned himself.  
"After school" he conceded "We have N.E.W.T's to do and plus, you've had enough moonlight adventures for a while. Anyway it takes three years to get it perfect" he said quickly noticing how she had opened her mouth to argue. She closed it again and nodded, then looked at him in an odd way. James couldn't place her expression. At that moment though, Wormtail fell on Lily's head and next minute the three boys were left laughing at how funny Lily's shriek had been.


	4. Wormtail's Secrets

Time seemed to be flying and the teachers continued to pile more and more homework onto them. Moony was having difficulty keeping up as his moonlight adventures left him too tired to go to class for a couple of days. Then Lily would have to help Prongs and Padfoot complete his work for him. All the seventh graders were under stress and the first signs were shown when, in Transfiguration, Emily Abbot burst into tears. Soon many students were in the hospital wing getting pick-me-up potions from Madam Pomfrey. It was worse than when they all took their O.W.L's. Lily had already taken four pick-me-up potions and two sleeping draughts. Prongs and Padfoot were still as happy as if they were in first year. One day Lily sneaked a look at their Transfiguration results. They had been asked to transfigure a pig into a table and back. Lily knew the boys hadn't practiced this at all. She was surprised, however, to see that they had both gotten an 'O'. In fact they never got lower than an 'O'.  
"How are you doing it?" Lily asked them one night.  
"Doing what?" asked Padfoot as he played his fourth round of Wizards Chess with Prongs.  
"Doing so well in class but not practicing at all!" she asked desperately.  
"Want our secret, do you Evans?" Padfoot asked laughingly as his knight knocked one of Prongs' castles off the table. Prongs hissed with frustration.  
"You don't have a secret" said Moony a little bemused.  
"Oh yes we do!" said Prongs, abandoning the chess game as his king was defeated by Padfoot's queen.  
"Well what is it?" asked Lily impatiently as Moony sat a little straighter. They were both getting 'O's in their subjects but they would like to do well without the added stress. Lily wondered the last time she had even written a letter home.  
"Come closer…" whispered Padfoot. In their eagerness both Moony and Lily missed the sly wink Prongs slipped Padfoot.  
"It's really simple. All you have to is eat this." They boys handed them a toffee each.  
"A toffee? Really?" asked Moony, who was more accustomed to their pranks than Lily, who had stuffed the toffee in her mouth. When nothing seemed to happen to her, he shrugged and ate the toffee too. This time they didn't miss the gleeful looks Prongs and Padfoot shared. Lily's eyes widened. She couldn't open her mouth! The toffee had glued it shut. Moony was having the same problems. "Hagrid's toffees!" howled Prongs, through tears of laughter. "We put a special charm on them that would glue the eaters mouth closed for half an hour!" and with that, both boys fell to the ground laughing. Lily glared at the boys. If only she had mastered non-verbal spells, then she would jinx them or just do the counter course to the sticking charm. Moony, however, had mastered non-verbal spells and he was up and swearing at the boys in seconds. For ten minutes Lily watched him chase Prongs around the common room until Padfoot tripped him up. Lily spent the next ten minutes futilely trying to convince Moony to unstick her mouth as well. Moony was still angry about her coming to the Forbidden Forest while he was transformed and he thought that Lily's mouth glued for half an hour would be suitable punishment. Lily looked glumly down at her work. Then she was struck by a sudden thought. Ten minutes later, her mouth unstuck, Lily continued to work as if her mouth were still stuck while the three boys sat about teasing her. Another twenty minutes passed and the boys teasing faded. Lily noticed the boys sharing uneasy glances. She hid her grin behind her long, red hair. Then deciding it was time to jam things up a bit, she looked up at the boys with horror as she pretended to realize that her mouth was still stuck. "Lils?" James asked hesitantly. Lily made a show of trying, and failing, to open her mouth. Inside she had to try not to burst out laughing at the look of fear the boys were sharing. "Try the counter curse James!" said Moony urgently. This was the part Lily had to really concentrate. She gripped her wand beneath her robes and said silently in her head _PROTEGO! _ just as Prongs said the counter curse. She knew it had worked by the look on his face. Padfoot and Moony both tried and each time she blocked them in her mind. Sadly she couldn't gloat about her success in non-verbal spells as that would ruin her cover. She would just have to gloat later. "We should take her to Madam Pomfrey" said Moony slowly.  
"Why do you think the sticking charm hasn't faded?" asked Padfoot  
"The counter curse worked for you Remus! Why didn't it work for Lily?" Prongs sounded frantic  
"I don't know. Are you sure you did the charm correctly?"  
"Positive!"  
"Could you have accidentally set the time longer?"  
"Maybe…"  
"No way!" Padfoot sounded outraged. Lily grinned to herself. She quickly wiped it away when Prongs turned back to her. "Lils, do you want to go to Madam Pomfrey?" Lily shook her head violently. She knew if she went there she would be discovered. She wanted to give the boys a taste of their own medicine. "Just leave it. If it doesn't go away by tomorrow we can take her to Pomfrey. I'm going to bed now though." Padfoot stood up and yawned. Lily wasn't fooled by his act. She knew he was extremely worried. Moony followed him to their dormitory, looking slightly green. Lily nearly let escape a giggle when Prongs tried to follow her up to her dormitory and slid down the marble staircase as the stairs disappeared. That changed when she watched Prongs wave to her sadly and then slowly trudged to the boys dormitory. She felt a little bad. However, once in her dormitory she found Alice Byrd awake and she couldn't keep it in. She just had to tell someone else. The two girls spent the whole night giggling and planning their next moves for morning.

Next morning Lily still hadn't spoken a word and eating and drinking seemed to be proving difficult. She was sitting near Alice and as far from the three marauders as possible. She caught them sending her apologetic looks and more than once tried to speak to her, when which Alice would tell them to back off and keep away from her and hadn't they done enough damage already? Padfoot's façade had slipped and he was looking extremely panicky. In class Lily stayed at the back and didn't answer any questions. She was thoroughly enjoying herself but by lunch her stomach was rumbling and it wasn't so difficult to act miserable. Alice had Herbology after lunch and Lily had a free period whence she hid in her dormitory and stuffed her face with food. By dinner the boys were insisting on taking her to Madam Pomfrey. For the first time ever, James had gotten transfiguration homework; he had failed to turn his hedgehog into a pincushion. Lily looked at Alice and knew it was time to reveal their secret. She opened her mouth and said coolly, "That won't be necessary." Her and Alice enjoyed the next few minutes as the boys realized they'd been pranked. Moony's mouth dropped and then he smiled in relief, hugged Lily and then sat down and began his homework. Padfoot's eyes bulged then he grinned and began roaring with laughter. Prongs, after the initial shock was, however, furious and went to bed early. Lily could hear Alice clicking behind her. They wanted to forever remember the looks on the boys faces after they had been pranked.  
"Go and check if Prongs is alright" she said to Padfoot after they were the only two left in the common room. He got up and came back almost immediately with a sullen looking James behind him. "Hey Prongs" said Lily brightly.  
"That wasn't funny!" growled James  
"Hm. Actually it was!"  
"You scared me half to death Lily! I thought we'd cursed you or something terrible had happened!"  
"That was the idea" she said slyly. James come suddenly toward her and shook her by the shoulders.  
"Do you have any idea how much sleep I got last night! I thought I'd done something terrible to you! How could I ever forgive myself if I had hurt you in any way!?"  
"Geez James it was only my voice!" said Lily slightly alarmed. She was also touched that he cared for her that much.  
"Yes but to think that I could have been the one to get rid of one of the most beautiful things about you-" he sounded half strangled. Abruptly he cut off and before Lily knew it he was kissing her. Time seemed to stop. She felt suddenly as light as air. She wound her arms behind his head and ran her hands through his messy, black hair. She heard him gasp as she ran her tongue over his lips. She smelled a citrusy scent on him that she remembered smelling in her fifth year, after coming across a very powerful love potion. She blushed. "Your beautiful when you blush, you know that?" he whispered against her ear. She blushed a deeper red. She noticed that Padfoot was gone. "You know, I think I'll eat more of your gluing toffees if this is what happens afterwards" said Lily, slightly breathless. James only hugged her tighter.  
"What happened?" asked Alice eagerly when Lily returned to their dormitory. Lily checked to see that the three other girls were still sleeping and then she told Alice everything. She wasn't sure why. She had never been close friends with Alice but she found it nice to have a girl friend after being surrounded with boys for most of her school years. She smiled at Alice and Alice smiled back. Then the girls continued to talk about 'The Kiss' well into the night. Lily even discovered that Alice had been secretly dating Frank Longbottom since fifth year.

Peter looked up and down the hall, even though he knew that there were no prefects. The prefects never patrolled the sixth floor. He hurried up to a statue of a hulking troll and whispered, "Apertus." The troll's mouth opened wider and wider until Peter could wriggle through. He closed the troll's mouth behind him and followed the passage down to a dimly lit room. There sat Severus and the rest of his gang, intent on joining the Dark Lord. Peter hurried forth. "Are you sure they don't know about this passage Wormtail?" asked Snape harshly. Peter winced. Whenever they used his nickname, he felt the sting of betrayal. He was betraying his best friends. "Q-quite sure. Th-this passage isn't on the-the map." He squeaked. Severus rolled his eyes. Not he, nor any of his other friends, believed that James Potter, Sirius Black and Remus Lupin had created a map of the school that showed what everyone was doing and where they going every minute of every day. They seemed to trust that Peter was telling the truth about the troll passage, however, and he was. The troll passage wasn't on the map because it didn't exist until last year, when Severus had created the passage to hold secret meetings with his friends. "How do we know we can trust him?" sneered Avery. "He could be here as spy for his friends."  
"Wormtail wouldn't be spy for his friends, he's got no backbone. He's a pathetic, weak creature who only does what's best for him. Isn't that right Wormtail?" said Snape. Wormtail just winced. Internally he was debating with himself about his choice. _They're your best friends_, a voice said. A louder voice drowned it out. _Yes but they are fools if they think they can stand up to the Dark Lord. Some say he is even more powerful than Dumbledore now.  
Dumbledore is the only wizard who the Dark Lord is afraid of.  
The Dark Lord will kill you if you even try to defy him. _That was how he continued to convince himself that his choice was the right one. He, Peter Pettigrew, did not want to die. If James, Remus, Sirius and Lily wanted to die, so be it, but he would not fall with them. "Why have you called this meeting Pettigrew." snarled Dolohov. Peter jumped and was bought back to reality. "F-for two things." He squealed. "They are?" asked Severus in a bored tone. "Well, Frank Longbottom, you all know him, correct?" There was a murmur of agreement, some hissing and spitting. Frank was well disliked for his continual, open hatred for the Dark Lord. "Well he has gotten together with Alice Byrd." The group jeered now. Frank had always been hard to target. Now he had a weakness and they would teach him to go against the Dark Lord. "What else?" asked Severus. Peter avoided Severus eye.  
"Well, um, well James Potter is, um, he's dating, _her." _He stuttered. "_Her?" _asked Avery scathingly. Severus knew what Peter was talking about, however. "Lily Evans" he whispered. The room was filled with jeering laughter and catcalling. They had all wanted to get at James Potter for all his hexes in the corridor and for saying that Albus Dumbledore was a greater wizard than the Dark Lord. Peter saw that Severus wasn't joining in the celebrations. His fists were clenched and his nostrils flared. A single tear fell from Severus' cheek. So it was true, wondered Peter, Severus was in love with Lily Evans. Dark-Arts-Severus was in love with a Mudblood. "It's time to teach Potter and Longbottom a lesson" yelled Avery and as one the boys raised their wands and screamed an incantation. Peter saw that Severus didn't lift his wand. Peter smiled. He knew that if anyone found out about Severus' love for Evans, he would be an outcast, not just from the Dark Lord, but James Potter would hex him something bad. Peter's smile widened. It would be the school's little secret.

"And then I said Protego in my mind again and it worked again! I did the non-verbal spell perfectly three times!" Moony, Padfoot and James, all groaned. Lily hadn't stopped gloating about the success of her non-verbal spells all night. Moony was sitting in an armchair by the fire finishing a potion essay. Padfoot was writing a letter to his parents. Lily was sitting curled against James' legs. He felt a flood of warmth for her and couldn't believe that she was his. Kissing was far easier than holding hands, he had decided. James ran his hands through Lily's blazing red hair. He heard the portrait door open and looked up to see Wormtail enter. He looked a little surprised to see them there. "What are you doing still up?" he asked  
"What are you doing wandering the corridors at night?" replied Padfoot.  
"Midnight stroll" he answered curtly.  
"Didn't know you could make jokes Wormy" teased James.  
"I'm going to bed" was his reply. James shrugged. After Wormtail disappeared Moony said "He's always going to bed these days. He's not even doing N.E.W.T's and he's tired!" he shook his head, bemused and measured his essay. James noticed Lily frowning. "Why is he tired then?" she asked  
"Apparently his cousin, the one who started this year, got sent home sick with spattergroit. Wormy has been writing to him every day and is always worried sick" replied James.  
"Never knew Wormy had any family except his mum" said Padfoot absently. Lily gasped, jumped up and left for the girls dormitory. "Where is she off to?" asked Padfoot.  
"Dunno" replied James. Padfoot made to follow her. James grinned as Padfoot climbed the staircase. No sooner had he reached the sixth stair that the staircase flattened and Padfoot slid down the staircase. "What is this?" he spluttered indignantly as James and Moony roared with laughter. Lily came sliding down the staircase with a look on her face that made James' stomach roll in fear. Moony's laughter died down. "What is it Lily?" asked James coming towards her. She didn't seem to be hurt but the look on her face was one of utmost pain and fear. "It's Alice. She's dead." And with that, Lily dropped in James' arms.


	5. The Dark Arts

"Lily! Lily!" James shook Lily but she wouldn't wake.  
"What's wrong with her Prongs?" asked Padfoot  
"She's not dead" said Moony. James sighed in relief.  
"We should take her to Pomfrey" continued Moony. James nodded.  
"Someone should get Alice" he said to the crowd that was beginning to form.  
"Alice? Why? What's wrong with her?" James turned to see Frank Longbottom coming towards him.  
"I don't know" said James curtly "Lily said she was dead but I don't think she is." Frank however didn't hang around to hear the rest, rushing up the staircase to see for himself. James was a little confused. Since when had Frank been into Alice? James watched, as for the second time that night, the girls marble staircase became a slide and Frank Longbottom slid back down. James was come over by the hysterical urge to laugh but he held it down. Girls went in to get Alice, who had seemed to suffer the same fate as Lily, and soon James and Frank, both cradling their respective girls, were off to the Hospital Wing. They didn't talk much. Both were too preoccupied with their own thoughts.  
"Well, well. If it isn't Potter and Longbottom" sneered a figure  
"Avery" muttered James. Frank scowled  
"What have you done to Alice?" he growled  
"Oh nothing. We're just teaching you two a lesson."  
"A lesson? In what?" James had a pretty good idea what the lesson was.  
"Well we couldn't help noticing how you two boys constantly degrade the Dark Lord and we thought we would teach you a lesson."  
"Voldemort is nothing but an evil wizard who deserves nothing more than death!" whispered Frank  
"Tut tut. That' won't do!" Avery swished his wand and Alice twitched in Franks arms.  
"What did you do to her!" said Frank urgently  
"What do you want from us?" spat James. How dare they hurt Lily to get at him!?  
"Careful Potter" grinned Avery. Another swish of his wand and James moaned as Lily spasmed in his arms  
"Ok, ok! We'll do what you want! Just stop please!" he begged.  
"Worship the Dark Lord, openly."  
"Never!" said Frank  
"Ok!" screamed James, as both Alice and Lily let out small moans and began to twitch violently.  
"Don't tell your friends because otherwise both Lily and Alice will return to this state. And if we think that you aren't doing our request properly Lily and Alice will both wish they were never born. Goodnight, now boys. Sweet dreams!" And, laughing, Avery strode past them. For a long time, James stood staring at Frank thinking about what they were going to have to do.

"Hello? Anyone home in that fat head of yours?" asked Padfoot for the third time that day.  
"Yes, hi!" said James dully. He couldn't take his eyes off Lily, who was sitting with Alice. She seemed fine. Well physically anyway. Both Lily and Alice weren't talking with their boyfriends due to their sudden interest in the Dark Arts. "This whole sudden love of the Dark Arts has something to do with Lily fainting that night, hasn't it?" asked Moony shrewdly. James didn't respond and Padfoot snorted into his pumpkin juice. James sighed and reflected what he and Frank had done the past week. They had both taken a sickening interest in the 'Dark' part of their defense against the dark arts lessons. They had told off anyone who spoke against the Dark Lord and they even went as far as to say he was someone who people should revere. Looking back on it all James felt disgusted with himself. "Seriously Prongs, why don't you just tell us what's going on?" said Padfoot impatiently. James shook his head, looking over at Lily. She caught his eye and turned her head away in disgust. James' heart dropped. Would Lily ever forgive him? James looked over to the Slytherin table and he saw Avery give him a sly look. James felt his blood boil. Even though he and Frank were doing everything he'd asked, both Lily and Alice would go to sleep at night, twitching and screaming. He was contemplating ways to kill Avery and his Death Eater gang, when he noticed Severus, sitting apart from his friends and motioning to him.  
"I've got to go and help Severus with some homework guys. Meet you back at the common room. Coming Frank?" James stood up and left, with Frank, for the library.  
"Since when has Prongs been mates with Snivellus?" James heard a bewildered Padfoot ask Moony.  
"What?" hissed James, once he and Frank had found Severus.  
"I know how to fix Lily, and Alice" he said.  
"Why would you help us?" growled Frank "Aren't you one of them?"  
"Yeah he is" interjected James noticing a look on Severus' face "But he likes Lily too." Severus flushed  
"Well do you want my help or not?" he asked snidely.  
"Better do it right Snivelly" warned James  
"Careful Potter, or I won't help at all"  
"You'd never abandon Lily like that"  
James was pleased to see he had won the argument. He watched Severus flush a deeper pink and then take a deep breath. "Just say this incantation." And with that Severus whispered a whole lot of words. James eyes widened. The incantation was full of Dark Magic.  
"Are you sure it will work?" he said. Severus just nodded and got up. "Oh and you can only do it tonight. If you aren't able to knock out Lily and Alice and do the incantation tonight, they'll become catatonic."  
"Why tonight?" asked Frank  
"Because I never took part in cursing the girls. There are seven other Death Eaters. Each day the controlled what happened to Lily and Alice for that night. Tonight's my night. So I control what happens to them." James nodded and he and Frank returned to the common room. James went up to Moony and Padfoot and said to them "Keep Lily and Alice in the common room for as long as you can." Then James motioned for Frank to follow him to his dormitory. "How the hell are we going to get Alice and Lily unconscious long enough to do that incantation!? We can't even get within three feet of them before they get up and leave the room" burst out Frank, collapsing on to the end of James' bed.  
"You're forgetting who you're talking to Longbottom" grinned James, for the first time in a week.  
"No I haven't!" said Frank irritably "I'm talking to you Potter! An idiotic prankster! It still baffles me how Evans ever fell for you." James grinned even wider.  
"Exactly! A prankster! Though not an idiotic one. A better word would be genius or fantastic or even marvellous!" Frank snorted "And for your information Lily fell for me because of my boyish charm and devilish good looks!" With that, James winked and plopped down onto the floor.  
"I still don't get it" said Frank after a short pause. James rolled his eyes.  
"I'm getting slightly offended here!" Frank glared at him.  
"If you're suggesting giving Alice one of your freaking prank food things, forget it! No way! Your girlfriend might take your crap but there is no way in hell your giving any of that stuff to Alice."  
"Do you think I'd ever give any of my "crap" to Lily if it wasn't one hundred percent safe?" asked James coolly. Frank glared and then sagged.  
"Yeah ok. But we still have to get them to eat it." James looked decidedly angry.  
"HAVE WE NOT JUST DISCUSSED HOW MARVELLOUS A PRANKSTER I AM?" Frank grinned.  
"I thought it was idiotic?" James glared at him and then laughed. So did Frank and the boys laughed for a good ten minutes until Frank sobered enough to say "We should really get going with this idiotic prank of yours."  
"Marvellous" muttered James, grinning. James then quickly explained to Frank how they were going to get the girls to eat a small, red little lolly, which James claimed would knock them out for twelve hours. "They'll kill us in the morning" said Frank looking at the time "If we get the lollies to them by midnight, they won't wake until midday!" James grinned again.  
"Lucky tomorrow is a Saturday then." Frank chuckled. Then the boys wandered into the common room and sat by the fire, grinning to each other as their plan went into action.

Lily looked around the common room. There was no-one left save for her, Alice, Padfoot and Moony. She checked the time. It was 11.30. The boys had kept her and Alice up, by insisting they play doubles on wizard chess, then multiple rounds of exploding snap. Her eyes narrowed when she caught sight of James and Frank, by the fire, whispering together. She nudged Alice who saw the boys and glared. Lily and Alice were both angry with the boys for their change of hearts. Lily had never though James would be the type to worship the vile creature that was Voldemort. _Then again, it takes one to know one,_ she thought grimly as James slowly polished his glasses. Then, linking arms with Alice, the girls marched over to the whispering boys and Lily demanded "What are you two whispering about? Thinking of marrying the Dark Lord are you?" She saw James wince slightly but she didn't care. How dare he let her believe he was trustworthy? Just because he proved Severus was bad doesn't mean he was any better. "Come on Alice let's go. We have better things to do than talk to two Death Eaters" spat Lily. She stopped short, however, when she saw James' eyes fill with tears. She didn't think James Potter ever cried. "Why are you crying?" she asked, forgetting to be rude.  
"Oh it's just that we weren't acting as ourselves, you see" Frank snivelled.  
"You mean you were under the Imperius Curse?" asked Alice.  
"Not exactly" said James.  
"Well what then?" said Lily impatiently "Oh forget it! Come one Alice, this is probably one of Potter's pranks again." She turned, but found her way blocked by Moony and Padfoot. "We insist you come and sit down here, ladies" said Moony, forcing Lily into an armchair.  
"Now really-" started Alice  
"You must try this new lolly of ours" continued Padfoot  
"They're absolutely spiffing" agreed Moony  
"No tha-" began Lily  
"Now, now don't say no before you've tried them! How do you know you don't like them, if you've never tried them."  
"I do believe they are complaining about the colour, Moony, old boy!"  
"We never-"  
"They colour? Why it's one of the prettiest reds we ever made!"  
"I know, I thought so too! Now look what you've done!" Padfoot rounded on Alice and Lily, who was feeling very confused, "You've offended Moony! All he wanted was for you to try his lolly!" Alice turned to Lily. Lily nodded hesitantly. "It should be ok. Moony's never given me prank food." Both the girls took the lolly and hesitantly put it in their mouths. At once Lily had a sweet, sugary taste in her mouth. She nearly spat the vile lolly out, but one look at Moony's excited face and she quickly swallowed the lolly. Alice seemed to have come to the same decision and by the look on her face hers didn't taste any better. "Well?" asked Moony eagerly "How was it?"  
"G-great" muttered Lily while Alice nodded fervently by her side. Then a queer sensation overcame her and she became very sleepy. The last thing she saw, before she fell asleep, was James' face smiling down at her.

"Here they come" murmured Frank and James looked up to see Lily and Alice striding over, arms linked. James took his glasses off and polished them. He then quickly looked to see Moony and Padfoot making their way over to where he and Frank had placed the two, red lollies. _Yes,_ he thought, _The signal worked!_  
"-of marrying the Dark Lord are you?" James heard Lily ask scathingly. James winced for show. They had to keep Lily and Alice stalling for as long as possible, to give Padfoot and Moony enough time to read the message James had left them. "Come on Alice let's go. We have better things to do than talk to two Death Eaters" spat Lily. Frank looked at James in alarm. Padfoot and Moony weren't ready yet. They needed more time. James quickly casted a non-verbal spell that would make his eyes water. Lily stopped short at the sight of his 'crying.'  
"Why are you crying?" she asked, forgetting to be rude.  
"Oh it's just that we weren't acting as ourselves, you see" Frank sniffled. James cringed. Frank was over doing it a bit. He sighed internally. Not everyone was as great an actor as Padfoot.  
"You mean you were under the Imperius Curse?" asked Alice.  
"Not exactly" James interjected before Frank could say anything more damaging  
"Well what then?" said Lily impatiently "Oh forget it! Come one Alice, this is probably one of Potter's pranks again." Lily turned, only to find her way blocked by Padfoot and Moony. James and Frank exchanged grins and they only got wider as they listened to Padfoot and Moony persuading the girls to eat the lollies.  
"We insist you come and sit down here, ladies" said Moony, forcing Lily into an armchair.  
"Now really-" started Alice  
"You must try this new lolly of ours" continued Padfoot  
"They're absolutely spiffing" agreed Moony  
"No tha-" began Lily.  
"Now, now don't say no before you've tried them! How do you know you don't like them, if you've never tried them."  
"I do believe they are complaining about the colour, Moony, old boy!"  
"We never-"  
"They colour? Why it's one of the prettiest reds we ever made!"  
"I know, I thought so too! Now look what you've done!" Padfoot rounded on Alice and Lily, who were both looking very confused, "You've offended Moony! All he wanted was for you to try his lolly!" James and Frank were both crying from silent laughter. Alice turned to Lily. Lily nodded hesitantly. "It should be ok. Moony's never given me prank food." Both the girls took the lolly and hesitantly put it in their mouths. James and Frank both got up when Alice and Lily began to sway. James caught Lily and smiled down at her as she sank into unconsciousness. Then James began the incantations while Frank, Padfoot and Moony stood by and watched. Frank had agreed it was best if James did the incantation as he was likely to forget it halfway through in his nervousness. When it was done, James collapsed into an armchair and grinned up at Frank. Padfoot and Moony magicked Lily and Alice into their beds and then the four boys laughed over the success of their plan. James looked at Frank and knew he had found a good friend in the boy, despite his terrible acting!


	6. Lily's Birthday

Lily groaned. She heard Alice turn over in her bed. Lily got up and rubbed her eyes.  
"Finally! You're up!" screeched a girl.  
"Yeah! Lucky today is Saturday! We just came back from lunch!" said another. Lily looked down at her watch. 12.00. She sighed and settled back down into the blankets. Then she shot up in alarm. 12.00! She flew about her dormitory, pulling on clothes, waking Alice and remembering what happened last night. The two girls looked at each other. _Moony!_  
The girls marched down the staircase and found the four boys sitting together.  
"That wasn't your lolly was it Lupin" spat Lily  
"Give me one good reason why I shouldn't hex you all" threatened Alice.  
"It wasn't my lolly it was Padfoot's but let us explain" insisted Moony. Lily and Alice both pointed their wands at Padfoot but it was Prongs who cleared his throat.  
"Muffliato" he muttered.  
"Why did you do that?" demanded Lily while Alice trained her wand at James' head.  
"Because I'd rather people didn't hear the story" he said calmly  
"Oh, so you don't embarrass yourself" Alice replied  
"No! Just listen please." So Lily and Alice listened to the story. When it was finished, Lily dropped her wand and fell into the nearest armchair. Alice however didn't look impressed "That didn't mean you had to knock us out until after midday! Do you know how much homework we have!" she screamed. James and Frank grinned at each other. Lily rolled her eyes.  
"Boys are so immature" she said but she did cross over and sit in James' lap. She sighed as his arms wrapped around her. She had missed him. After a moment's hesitation Alice motioned for Frank to follow her and the couple left the common room. Suddenly a loud noise rumbled from Lily. She went bright red as Padfoot fell about laughing. "You're hungry" grinned James. The two got up and made their way to the portrait hole. "Bring some food back for me!" called Padfoot.

"This isn't the way to the Great Hall" Lily noticed, as her stomach gave another rumble. James only grinned at her. Finally they arrived at a portrait of a bowl of fruit. Lily looked at James quizzically. She was really hungry. Where were they? James went and tickled the pear and suddenly the portrait swung open. Lily frowned. She followed James and entered a room full of gleaming pots and pans and benches. She gasped. They were in the kitchens! "How did you find this place?" she asked, but before he could answer they found themselves surrounded by house elves. "What may we do for you master?" asked a house elf croakily bowing so low that his nose brushed the floor.  
"Master?" asked Lily. James grinned.  
"Padfoot and I come in here so often asking for food that the house elves have begun calling us master. They love doing extra work. Lily would like some food." James added to the house elves. All the elves turned and looked at Lily.  
"Uh… can I please have some… uh… some chicken pie?" she asked hesitantly. All those little faces staring at her was a bit disconcerting. There was a chorus of "Yes miss" and a few house elves hurried off. The rest stayed where they were. Soon three little house elves walked up carrying a tray over their heads. "There you are miss" squeaked a house elf.  
"Thanks" said Lily. Out of the corner of her eye she saw James smack his forehead. She soon saw why. All the house elves bowed really low and a few even burst into noisy tears. Lily looked around startled. "I'm sorry! I didn't mean to offend you. Uh… the pie is great!" She saw James laughing and glared at him.  
"The house elves are't used to a thank you Lils" he explained "Since the rise of Voldemort house elves have been treated like vermin. These house elves are safe at Hogwarts but most house elves don't get treated right. Not many wizards think house elves deserve manners."  
"Miss likes the pie very much?" squeaked the same house elf who had brought her the food.  
"Y-yes it's fantastic" she said. Suddenly all the house elves were pressing pies into her hands. Lily looked at James, startled. "I'm not that hungry! One pie is enough" she said but the House elves didn't seem to hear her.  
"We have to go" said James and all the house elves bowed to him. "Come back any time" some called after them. Lily was glad she was out of there.  
"Tell me you and Padfoot are nice to them" she glared at James.  
"Sure we are" he said. Back at the common room, Padfoot gorging himself on chicken pie and Lily and Alice doing all their homework, Lily had a sudden thought.  
"If house elves don't like their working conditions can they leave?"  
"On'y if they 're presen'ed wif clothes" said Padfoot with his mouth full. Alice made a face at him. He opened his mouth and showed his half chewed pie. Lily rolled her eyes and turned to Moony, who was reading.  
"So if we presented the House elves with clothes, they would be free?"  
"Yes" said Moony slowly "But most of them wouldn't like it. They love their work and being set free is the ultimate punishment for them. The mere mention of clothes offends them. There are some who would like to be free of their masters but the majority of elves enjoy themselves."  
"But they get paid don't they?" she persisted. James looked up from his broomstick, which he was polishing, shocked. Padfoot dropped his pie and Alice even stopped her transfiguration homework to stare at Lily.  
"Their _slaves,_ Lily. They don't get paid and they don't want to be paid" said Moony, who was the only one who wasn't surprised with Lily's outburst.  
"I guess so" she sighed "I just wish wizards were kinder to them thats all." Before anyone could say anything to her, Wormtail walked through the portrait hole.  
"H-hello guys" he stuttered, then scampered up the stairs.  
"What's up with him?" asked Frank who was coming down the stairs.  
"Dunno" shrugged James.  
Lily frowned. "You should find out. Help him. He might be going through some tough times." James guffawed as did Padfoot.  
"Wormy doesn't need our condolences" said Padfoot.  
"Well I think he feels excluded by you guys and if you don't talk to him, he will join the wrong crowd."  
"Wormy knows he's our friend. And which wrong crowd? Not the Death Eaters. He's scared stiff of them" laughed Padfoot. Lily remained stubborn however and finally they agreed to talk to Wormtail.  
After a moments silence James cleared his throat. "Hey Lily, do you want to go to Hogsmede with me? There's a visit next Sunday."  
"Sure" she said, slightly surprised.  
"L-like a date?" he continued. Lily saw Alice glare at him and smiled to herself.  
"You know" he added quickly "I wanted to do something special for your birthday." Lily was so shocked, that she nearly missed Alice rolling her eyes. She had completely forgotten that her birthday was next Sunday.  
"Sure" she said absently. Prongs grinned triumphantly. Lily quickly vowed she would help Frank make Alice's birthday special too.  
"Hey thanks!" said Lily to Alice, later.  
"For what?" asked Alice but she grinned and winked at her.

"Okay. Okay. It's fine. It's all fine."  
"Geez Prongs! It's only a date with Lily Evans. Haven't you been going out with her all this year?"  
"Yeah but this is our first date!"  
"You should have asked her out sooner"  
"You think so Moony?" asked James anxiously. Moony rolled his eyes.  
"Just don't worry about it. You look fine!" he added, as for the tenth time James tried to smooth his hair down.  
"I thought you liked your hair messy Prongs" grinned Padfoot.  
"Yeah but she hates it messy!" he muttered James.  
"Can't we come? Please?" begged Padfoot again! He'd been pestering to come all week.  
"No!" said James "Moony please make sure he doesn't come. Please!"  
"Oh I won't come! Don't you trust me?" he added  
"No" said Moony and James together. They both laughed at Padfoot's expression.  
"Hey Prongs!" said a voice.  
"Lily! You look good! I-I mean great!" James added quickly, after a swift kick from Moony.  
Lily smiled at him "Come on silly!" and with that James took her hand and they walked towards the entrance hall together.  
"Bye! And don't worry! We'll chain Padfoot up until you come back!" Alice called. Padfoot growled. James grinned.

When they got to Hogsmede James frowned.  
"Why does it have to snow!"  
Lily giggled. "It's January of course it's snowing. I love the snow!" James looked into Lily's green eyes and noticed a snowflake clinging to her hair. He brushed it away. Lily smiled and blushed. Then they walked to the Three Broomsticks. On the way they passed a small teashop called Madame Pudifoot's.  
"Let's go in here" said James.  
"Oh- no Prongs!" But James wouldn't hear of it and he dragged Lily inside. Lily spent the next twenty minutes laughing at the disgusted expression on James' face, as confetti exploded over them and couples all around them snogged each other. James looked at Lily and then away, quickly, only to get a handful of confetti in his mouth. Coughing and spluttering James got up and stormed out of the teashop with Lily howling with laughter behind him. James looked at Lily and then glared at the teashop as if it was something offensive. Lily quickly grabbed James hand and they entered the Three Broomsticks, where James ordered two Butterbeers. Lily drank her, warm, delicious, drink and then sighed.  
"What's wrong?" asked James hurriedly, slopping half his drink down his front.  
"Nothing. I'm just going to miss Hogwarts when we leave"  
"We've still got another seven months!" said James shocked.  
"It'll go by really fast, what with the approaching exams" she said glumly. James, desperate to make Lily happy again, said rather loudly, "More Butterbeer?" Lily looked surprised. Then she relaxed into an easy smile.  
"No thanks!"  
"D-do you want to go to the shrieking shack?"  
"Sure!" Once they arrived they stood staring at the shack for a while. Lily shivered and James put his arm around her shoulders. She leaned into him.  
"You know, I hear the shack is haunted" she teased him.  
"Yes it is" he said gravely "But the resident ghost is leaving his comfortable home soon." James wished he hadn't mentioned leaving, as Lily sighed again and looked sadly at the dilapidated shack.  
"I'm going to miss all those moonlight adventures!"  
James stared at her. "You've only been to one! And you were nearly killed!"  
"Aren't you going to miss them then?" she demanded  
"Nah! Moony still transforms. We'll just do it someplace else. Maybe we'll even come back here once in a while, for old time sakes."  
Lily smiled. "You promised I could become an animagus"  
"And you will! After school!" At that moment there was a noise behind them. Lily turned and saw Severus standing there.  
"Sev?" she asked. Out of the corner of her eye she saw James back away.  
"Hey Lily!" he said awkwardly. "Happy Birthday! Eighteen now! That's great!"  
"Sev" she said quietly "It's ok." Severus looked at her hopefully and then nodded.  
"Anyway, this is for you" he quickly handed her something and then walked away. It was a ring with his family's coat of arms on it. Attached was a note.  
_Remember me sometimes, ok?_  
"Sev!" Lily called out. He turned.  
"Always" she whispered to him. And then she hugged him. She watched him walk away, and felt, rather than saw, James return to her side.  
She turned to face him. "You organised this didn't you?" Before he could reply, she was kissing him and he was kissing her back. He never wanted to let her go. He wrapped his arms around her waist and her arms came up behind his head. He felt her run her hands through his hair and he pulled her closer to him. Sooner than he would've liked, the kiss had to end as Lily shivered slightly. James felt the cold too. He wrapped his arms around her, and together they walked back to the castle and it's warmth.

"Well Prongs!" said Padfoot that night, as the two made their way down to the kitchens, under the invisibility cloak, "What happened?"  
"Well, she kissed me" he said.  
"That's good!" enthused Padfoot "Did you get her the present?" James stopped suddenly. "The present!" he groaned, ignoring Padfoot's protests as the invisibility cloak slipped off and exposed half their bodies. He quickly turned and dashed back to the common room, with the invisibility cloak trailing behind him, leaving Padfoot exposed in the hall. Arriving back at the common room he quickly grabbed a piece of parchment and sent it off to Lily's dormitory, asking her to come to his, as his room was empty. Padfoot was still in the corridor somewhere, Frank was downstairs with Alice, Moony was still in the hospital wing recovering from when Padfoot had 'accidently' lit him on fire when he had mentioned the cold and Wormtail was never around these days.  
"What's up?" asked Lily sleepily  
"Your present. I forgot it." He saw her grin and take the gift.  
"It's beautiful" she whispered as she fastened the chain around her neck and examined the charm. Inside there was a picture of her and James hugging and engraved on the other side was her name.  
"Thankyou Prongs" she whispered, kissed him lightly and then turned and went back to bed. James stood there smiling to himself, and would have done so all night, if Moony hadn't walked in, with his hair slightly singed and said "Padfoot wants to know if we are still going to the kitchens?"  
"Wha'? Oh yeah! You coming?" Moony nodded and together the two joined a sulky Padfoot and went to the kitchens.


	7. NEWT's

Lily was right. The months did go by fast. Seven months became six and six became four. Soon exams were around the corner.  
"Ugh. I can't believe this!" said Lily one night.  
"What?" asked Prongs, not looking up from his game of gobbstones with Padfoot.  
"That you two can still be passing and not studying" she snapped.  
Prongs looked up and grinned. "That's not really what you were thinking."  
She sighed. "No you're right. I just can't believe how next we will be taking our exams and in two weeks we will be finished."  
"Personally I'll be glad that the exams are over" said Moony mildly. Lily gave him a sympathetic look. The full moon was next Wednesday and no matter how hard Professor McGonagall tried, she couldn't reschedule the exam for him. He would just have to turn up the next day, tired or not.  
"And anyway, we still have a week and a half of school after the exams. There aren't as many as O.W.L's. We only have to do Transfiguration, Potions, Defence Against the Dark Arts, Charms and you, Lily, for some inscrutable reason, Ancient Runes. Not sure what that's going to achieve but…" Padfoot ended his speech with a lazy grin at Lily who glared at him, then went back to translating some runes. Ten minutes later she looked up, anxious again.  
"Was Ancient Runes a bad choice, do you think?"  
Prongs rolled his eyes at Padfoot. "Don't listen to him Lils. He doesn't know what he's talking about. Anyway he's taking Muggle Studies so he shouldn't be talking. Stop doubting yourself." Lily grinned as Padfoot through his gobbstones at Prongs and pretended to study. Lily ignored Prongs' attempts to coax Padfoot to play another round of gobbstones and turned to Moony.  
"I'm doing Ancient Runes too" he said, before she could open her mouth. The two spent the rest of the night studying together, while Padfoot chased Prongs around the room. Finally the day of the exams dawned bright. Lily and Moony weren't eating but Padfoot and Prongs were stuffing themselves.  
"Oh come on Lily! We have a potion exam! Everyone knows you're the best at potions!" scoffed Padfoot, when he noticed her reading a potion book under the table. Lily scowled as he took her book away.  
"Give it back" she growled.  
"Or what?" taunted Padfoot, holding the book out of her reach. Just what Lily would have done, no-one found out because at that moment Professor Slughorn made an announcement.  
"All seventh years doing N.E.W.T potions follow me please." Lily, Prongs, Padfoot and Moony got up, Padfoot and Prongs giving cheery waves to Wormtail, who would be taking basic exams later that afternoon. The other students were Severus and another Slytherin girl and five Ravenclaws.  
"Guess the Hufflepuffs are too dumb for N.E.W.T level" said the Slytherin girls. No one laughed and she lapsed into an awkward silence. Even though the exam was easy for Lily, she was still nervous. Transfiguration was next and Lily thought she had done reasonably well. That night she studied for their last three exams, Charms, Ancient Runes and Defence Against the Dark Arts alone, as Moony was out howling in the shrieking shack. For the first time Padfoot was studying too. He and Prongs hadn't gone with Moony tonight as Padfoot was studying and Moony would be on edge if only half his pack turned up.  
"Lily, what's the function of a telephone again" asked Padfoot desperately.  
"Oh Sirius! A telephone is used to communicate with others. You can't see the persons face but you can hear their voice" said Lily impatiently. "I don't know why you took the damned subject"  
Padfoot ignored her and muttered "Communication, right now lets see, next question. Explain the uses of public transport." Prongs was playing with the snitch again. He had been taking it out and putting it away so often, it was grating on Lily's nerves. In the end she sighed, slammed her books shut, and went to bed. She found Alice sitting in bed and studying for her Herbology exam.  
"Want help?" asked Lily. Alice nodded wordlessly and the rest of the night was spent testing Alice about different magical plants.

"Moony old boy! How're you feeling?" greeted Prongs, the only one at ease. Padfoot was stressing over his Muggle Studies exam. Moony didn't answer. He was too busy trying to study for Ancient Runes, while Lily, beside him, tried to give him hints. Prongs was off to do Care of Magical Creatures.  
After their first exam, Padfoot was at ease again ("There was even a question on motorcycles. It was such an easy test" he told Prongs, the only one who would listen) however Lily and Moony were both studying for their Transfiguration exam. After that it was Defence Against the Dark Arts, and then they were finished. They would get their results the second last day of school.  
"No we have a full week of nothing!" groaned Padfoot  
"I know! What are we going to do?" asked Prongs mock sadly  
"Yeah. All that studying. Now my life has no meaning" said Padfoot morosely. Lily looked at Moony, and both of them chased the boys down to the lake. The next week and a half was bliss. Lily wrote to her parents and found our Petunia had married Vernon. Lily was a bit hurt that she hadn't been invited, but she had other things to worry about. The results were coming soon. Lily looked up at the ceiling again and her stomach swooped. The owls were coming. A letter dropped in front of her and she quickly tore it open. As if from a great distance, she heard Prongs and Padfoot whooping. Then somehow she had Moony's score card, then Padfoot's, then Prongs'. They had all gotten O's. In everything. Lily's heart beat very fast. All over the great hall there was cheering and groaning as people got there scores. Lily turned to James, eyes shinging.  
"Hey Lils? Will you marry me?" he shouted in her ear. There was a buzzing in Lily's ears. She slowly nodded and James kissed her full on the mouth. There was whistling and cheering but Lily was too busy at the moment to pay them any head at all.


	8. Harry

"Where is James!?" screamed Lily. Padfoot ran around swearing while Moony threw anything he could get his hands on into a suitcase.  
"I don't know!" Padfoot continued to cuss, running around.  
"Padfoot! You running around like that doesn't help our situation!" said Moony sharply. Padfoot stopped running around, but continued to curse.  
"We have to go now" Lily screamed through gritted teeth. Moony looked up in alarm and began throwing things into the suitcase with more speed. Padfoot resumed his running around the room.  
"Why did James have to go to an Order meeting, tonight, of all nights!" muttered Padfoot  
"Padfoot shut up! Help me pack!" ordered Moony. Padfoot grabbed a lamp and threw it a Moony's head. Moony growled.  
"This is no time for your jokes-" He was cut off by a moan from Lily.  
"We are going now! See you with the suitcase, and hopefully James, soon! Bye!" And with that, Padfoot dragged Lily into the fireplace and disappeared. Lily felt the world spinning out of control and she vomited all over Padfoot. She heard him growl.  
"You try this some time!" she snapped at him. Two minutes later they arrived and Lily was hidden in a dark cool room. Her anxiety returned when Padfoot left her. Where was James? The Order meeting wasn't meant to be long. They were only discussing the new Death Eaters that had joined Voldemort. The Order of the Phoenix had been started by Dumbledore last year, the year Lily had graduated, to try and stop Voldemort. Of course she, James, Sirius, Remus and Peter had joined up, despite the danger to their lives. Tonight, though, was different. James needed to be with her, in this cool dark room, away from everyone and all the fighting. The door opened and James entered. She breathed a sigh. He was safe with her. Before he could say hello, however, Lily let out a piercing scream. James spun around and Lily faded in and out of consciousness.

She looked down at the sleeping bundle in her arms.  
"Harry" she cooed.  
"He caused a lot of worry and chaos" swore Moony. Padfoot and James grinned at each other, then James leaned to hold his son. She looked at the two men in her life, both of them so alike. She smiled at the messy black hair her baby already showed. Suddenly the baby opened its eyes and smiled up at James. James handed the baby back to Lily, eyes wide. Lily sucked in a breath. His eyes were the exact same shade as hers. Her baby looked straight into her eyes and smiled, then his plump lips stretched into a yawn, and Harry fell asleep in his mother's arms. She looked up at James, who sat down beside her and wrapped his arms around her. "I love you Lily" he whispered. She smiled and fell asleep with her head on his shoulder.

Lily spent the next few months getting to know her baby boy. He'd showed signs of magic before he could even talk. She remembered that day vividly. Padfoot and Moony were over and it was almost nightfall. Moony had to leave as it was full moon. Harry had been sleeping in Moony's arms. Moony had gotten up and passed Harry off to James. Harry awoke and Lily had expected him to cry. Instead he had sat in his father's arms and stared at Moony. When Lily had opened the door to let Moony out, it had shut in her face. She and Moony had turned to see Harry, with his arms stretched out, opening and closing his plump fingers, gesturing for Moony to pick him up. Lily laughed to remember the shock on all the adult's faces, and the delight on James'. It had been difficult for Moony to leave as Harry had continued to slam the door closed, every time it opened. Finally Harry had been distracted by Padfoot, who had turned into a dog and began to chase their cat around the room. Lily smiled fondly down at her baby as she remembered his first word. It had been only one month after he had first shown sign of magic. He had been sitting in the living room, playing with the cat, when Lily had heard the roar of a motorbike outside. She looked up to see Padfoot walk in and Harry had screamed, "Pa'foo'!" James and Sirius were both delighted with Harry but Lily had been slightly disappointed. She was slightly mollified, however, when, two weeks later, after Sirius had knocked over a glass, and it had shattered everywhere, Harry had toddled in and said "Pa'foo', idot!" Lily laughed to remember the look on Sirius' face. Those were her two favourite memories of Harry. Now he looked up at her with wondering eyes, as she laughed. She smiled down at him and then left him to play with the cat as she went and cooked dinner. Padfoot and Moony were staying over. She hadn't heard from Peter in a while. James said that his Uncle was really sick. Lily frowned. Something was off about Peter. Harry loved being cuddled by Remus and Sirius but whenever Peter came close to him, he began to bawl. James had laughed when Lily had mentioned this and told her not to worry and that it didn't mean anything but Lily wasn't so sure. Harry was very intuitive. He knew Moony was a werewolf and that his parents and Sirius were animagus. Lily grinned. She remembered her and James, working on her animagus form, which was of course a doe. It had taken five months. Sirius had been annoyed for ages that it had only taken them five months to perfect. Sometimes Lily had caught Harry turning red in the face. James said he was just thinking deeply, but Lily thought he might be trying to turn into an animal. Suddenly she felt a tug at her jeans. She looked down to see Harry… with her wand in his pudgy hand!  
"Harry! How many times have we told you, not to touch Mama's wand?!" she snatched the wand back but grinned despite herself. Harry was always stealing her wand and waving it around never causing more than sparks. Although once he did turn Sirius' hair bright pink. The spell had lasted a week, and Sirius had worn his hair with pride. Harry looked up at her a said very clearly, "Sowy Mama!" Then he toddled away, giggling. Lily, chortling to herself, went to see if the living room was alright, and nearly choked on herself. The cat was nearly bigger than the room and Harry was hiding beneath it, giggling. The cat looked at Lily with dilated pupils. It was clearly scared out of its wits. There came a bang behind her and Lily heard James and Sirius talking. Their voices came closer and closer, until they cut off. Sirius whistled. James swore.  
"What the hell happened?" he asked  
"Harry" Lily managed. Sirius fell to the floor with laughter. James managed to return the cat to normal size and Harry stayed in Remus' arms all that night until he fell asleep, clearly afraid of the scolding his mother would give him. Lily sighed as she looked at the sleeping bundle in Remus' arms. James was asleep on the couch and Sirius had left an hour ago. Moony was reading. Life was hectic with a baby, and she still had to balance out order meetings. Plus Voldemort was getting stronger. Regulus had joined as a Death Eater. Lily sighed again. Sirius had been broken hearted. He had loved his brother, and couldn't believe his eyes when he found out. Lily had always liked Regulus but she had suspected for a while, he would join Voldemort. His mother had been pestering him to do it for a while now. And Lily was concerned about Peter. Despite what James thought, she knew something was up with him and it wasn't good. She scooped Harry out of Moony's arms and put him to bed. As soon as she turned the light off, it flicked back on. She grinned. Harry never liked sleeping with the light off.


	9. The Order

Lily, James, Sirius, Remus and Peter had all joined the order as soon as it had begun. James and Sirius had joined with enthusiasm, talking about how many Death Eaters they would take down, Lily and Remus had joined with a grim determination to stop Voldemort and Peter… well Peter had joined somewhat reluctantly. Lily frowned. Ever since James had mentioned that Peter had a cousin starting Hogwarts, Lily had thought something was off. She knew she was missing something. She looked at her watch and realised she was already late. Her and Alice were meant to go into the Ministry and try and expose Avery, who had been working undercover there for far too long.  
"Sirius! I'm going! Please take care of Harry!" she called up the stairs.  
"Don't worry Lily! Harry is safe with me!" he yelled.  
"That's what I'm afraid of" she muttered. Aloud she said "Just please don't blow up the house!" She exited the house and after leaving the safety of the protective charms around the house, apparated to Alice's house.  
"You're late!" came a voice behind her. Lily turned and grinning, embraced her friend.  
"How are Frank and Neville?" Alice had had a son not long before Lily. In fact, Harry and Neville were only five days apart.  
"Fine! Neville just showed his first signs of magic! Yesterday he made all the flowers in the garden grow and blossom! I can't wait to tell my mother in law. She has been going on about how babies should show magic in the early months, otherwise there is no doubt they'll be a squib!"  
"You don't believe that do you, Alice? Why I didn't show signs of magic until I was three!" Alice smiled sheepishly, then said briskly, "Dumbledore is inside. Let's not keep him waiting any longer." The two entered the house and were promptly greeted by Neville. Lily scooped him up and Neville said, in his cute baby voice, "Liwy! Where James?" Lily laughed. Neville loved James because he was always making colours come out of his wand that excited Neville and Harry to no end. "James is busy, honey. He will come by tomorrow." It was Neville's birthday tomorrow and Lily, James and Harry were coming over for lunch. "Lily!" greeted Frank! Lily was just telling Frank about Harry's latest word, when Dumbledore entered the room! "Ah, Lily! Good you're here. Well, let's get down to business. Avery is not working at the Ministry today. He has gone on leave."  
"Leave!" said Lily, in an outrage.  
"But he wasn't meant to go on leave until two weeks!" said Frank  
"We have a spy. I have feared it for a long time. Ever since Sirius came back from his mission, ambushed by Death Eaters." Lily shuddered. She remembered that night. James, Remus and herself had stayed up all night waiting for him to come home. James had been pacing and Lily remembered a sick feeling in her stomach. Sirius hadn't come back that night. He arrived at their house two days later, bloodied and hexed, refusing to go to St Mungos.  
_Wormtail_. Lily didn't know why that name came to her name. Peter had just come back from a successful mission and was spending his time with his Uncle. Still, Lily couldn't shake the feeling that she was right.  
"I would still like you to go to the Ministry and see if you can find any suspicious action" continued Dumbledore.  
"Actually, Dumbledore, I think I know who the spy is." Lily had no idea why the hell she just said that. Alice looked at her in surprise and Frank's mouth popped open in the perfect 'o.' Dumbledore, however, looked at her gravely, with his piercing blue eyes.  
"Very well Lily. Frank would you care to join Alice at the Ministry?"  
"But Neville-"  
"Don't worry. Wormtail is free today. He can watch Neville."  
"Wormtail is busy with his Uncle!" said Lily, more sharply than she intended. "Hi-his uncle is sick and I-I think he should stay with him!" she added more firmly. She didn't know why, but she didn't feel comfortable with Wormtail looking after Neville. She remembered the onetime Wormtail had watched over Harry. She and James had arrived home to Harry screaming in his cot. He seemed absolutely frightened of Wormtail. Even the cat had been hissing and spitting, standing in front of Harry, as if to protect him. James had said it was because Wormtail was a rat. Both Harry and the cat hated rats.  
"Neville can go over to my house. Sirius is there watching over Harry."  
"You trust Sirius?" asked Alice sceptically.  
"With my baby yes. Because he knows if anything bad happens to Harry, I will tear him apart." Alice nodded.  
"I can take him if you want" offered Lily, who had noticed that she was still holding Neville. He was gripping a strand of her hair in his hand and playing with it.  
"Thanks" said Alice.  
"Wonderful!" said Dumbledore, clapping his hands. Lily left with Neville and walked back home. Lucky Alice lived close to her home. Lily didn't fancy walking a long way in this cold.  
"Hey Sirius!"  
"Harry is alive! He's just sleeping!" Sirius said somewhat hastily. "What are you doing home so early?" Lily ignored his question and climbed the stairs.  
"Neville is staying here until Alice and Frank come to get him." At the sound of Neville's name, Harry awoke. He had been sleeping on the floor. Lily glanced suspiciously at Sirius. "Newille!" he screamed. The two boys began rolling on the floor, playing a game only known to them.  
"See they're fine!" said Sirius. Lily glared but she really wanted to visit Wormtail's mother, so she left. She trusted Sirius, completely. She was just feeling on edge. She really wanted to be wrong about Wormtail but for some reason she knew she was right.

~  
"Lily! How nice to see you!" called Mrs Pettigrew. Lily couldn't help notice that Peter looked nothing like his mother. She was beautiful and slim and her eyes were a clear honest blue. She hard a warm motherly feel about her. Peter was short, rat-like and rather pudgy and his eyes were watery and shifty.  
"Mrs Pettigrew! I just came over for a short while! How is your brother?"  
"My brother? I don't have a brother. I'm an only child."  
"Oh I'm so sorry! It's your brother in law who is ill then?"  
Mrs Pettigrew was looking thoroughly confused. "My husband was an only child too."  
"Was?" asked Lily.  
"Yes. He and his parents were killed by Death Eaters. So were my parents. Peter and I the only ones left."  
"I'm terribly sorry" said Lily hollowly. Peter had been lying. Suddenly she remembered something. The first words Peter had spoken to her. It had been right after their sorting.  
"Only me and my mum left in my family and my mum is a squib so we had no idea what house I'd be in. Glad I'm in Gryffindor though. Those guys look cool." It was then that Lily had stopped listening to Peter because anyone who thought James and Sirius were cool were a very bad judge of character. Lily didn't want to believe it but if Peter wasn't visiting his sick Uncle where was he going. She couldn't believe he was the spy.  
"Is everything alright dear?" Lily heard Mrs Pettigrew ask, from far away. Lily shook herself and managed to say, "Oh yes I'm fine! Sorry Mrs Pettigrew. Obliviate!" Lily couldn't afford Mrs Pettigrew telling her son she had been here asking about his extended family. He would know she suspected. Then Lily left for home. When she arrived, she sent Sirius and the two boys back to Alice's house. She didn't want to tell Sirius, James or Remus of her discovery yet. In fact she wouldn't tell anyone. Anyone but Dumbledore of course. She sent a letter to him, telling him to come to her house as soon as he could. He arrived not twenty minutes later.  
"Are we alone?"  
"Yes"  
"Good! I believe you have something interesting to tell me, Lily?" Those piercing blue eyes x-rayed her again.  
"I know for almost certain that Peter is our spy." Then she went on tell Dumbledore all she had found out including that both Harry and the cat seemed to intensely dislike him.  
"Animals and children have a deep perspective of other people's character" he said gravely, when she had finished. "Well Lily, we must be absolutely sure about this. We must be able to frame him. You must follow him tomorrow and see where he goes. Tell me everything he does at our next meeting on Wednesday. That's when we will tell everyone of our suspicions."

"And if he does nothing suspicious?"  
"We will tell them anyway. I will be sure that Peter is on a mission at the time of the meeting so he is not present" Dumbledore added, as he perceived her next question. "You have done well Lily. I myself would never have picked Peter as the spy. He seemed too weak and cowardly to against his friends and join someone who could kill him in an instant."  
"I think, Dumbledore, that Peter was more afraid of dying if he went against Voldemort. He felt safer if he didn't defy Voldemort."  
"I see. You are right of course. I wonder why the sorting hat put him in G ryffindor? He would be more suited to Slytherin, I think." Lily had been wondering the herself.  
"Well Lily. Get ready. Tomorrow you will follow Peter all day and see what he does. Do not get caught. Be careful and good luck. Oh and don't tell anyone of your mission, or that, indeed, you are on one. They might tell Peter." Suddenly Lily slapped her forehead.  
"Neville's birthday! What will I tell Alice?"  
"Leave it to me!" said Dumbledore. Lily couldn't help thinking, that whatever Dumbledore said or did, Alice would still be hurt that she hadn't shown up for Neville's birthday.


	10. Spies

Lily was hungry and tired and feeling very annoyed. She had been under James' invisibility cloak, in the same spot, for hours. It was almost lunch time. Peter hadn't left his house all morning. Lily was seriously doubting if she had been correct in her assumption. She had thought Peter would have done something by now. Instead, he was really boring. She was sitting on the floor in the living room, watching him read a book. Then there came a knock on the door. Lily sat up straighter. She thought maybe Peter had seen a bit of her hair fall out from behind the cloak but then he was shaking his head and answering the door.  
"Avery!" she heard him squeak "What a surprise"  
"Wormtail we don't need the map anymore. The Dark Lord has other plans."  
"Wh-what map?"  
"You know… the ones that tell us the layout of Hogwarts. Where all its magical incantations and secret passages are. The one that tells us everything we need to know so that we could take over the school. We don't need it anymore!" Lily gasped. She quickly stifled her hand with her mouth. The two men hadn't heard a sound. They were talking about the Marauder's Map. But why did Peter have it?  
"I know you stole the Map from James, Wormy. You stole it two weeks ago, in your rat form." Lily closed her eyes. She remembered Harry screaming "Rat" one night and the cat had been hissing and spitting all over the place. She hadn't realised… "We don't need anymore. The Dark Lord says he is sorry that he made you do it as you nearly got caught by a baby!"  
"I have no idea what you're talking about!" Lily took a double take. Wasn't Peter meant to be the spy? She was too busy concentrating on Peter and missed the look of surprise on Avery's face.  
"Why you-" Avery got out his wand, but just as suddenly put it away. There was no mistaking it. Avery was looking straight at her.  
"Very well. Tonight, 11.00. Bring the girl" and sneering he left the house. Bring the girl? How did Avery know she was here? Before Lily could do anything, she saw Peter pull out his wand.  
"I'm sorry Lily" But Lily was quicker.  
"IMPEDIMENTA!" Peter was frozen, wand half-raised and mouth wide open. She had to leave now. She had to tell Dumbledore. But first she had to find that map. She searched everywhere. All over the house. She tried summoning it, she tried everything. Suddenly she heard a voice behind her.  
"Looking for this?" She turned to see Peter holding the map.  
"You! You vile, loathsome evil little rat!" Lily made a lunge for the map. Wormtail shot a green curse at her which she narrowly avoided. He had tried to kill her. She snarled at him and began slashing her wand, directing her curses toward him. He was no match for her. He was too weak. She summoned the map and, at the same time, stunned him.  
"Time to show everyone your true colours Wormtail."  
"I don't think so!" Lily whirled around, too late, to see Avery in the doorway.

"Where is Lily?" moaned Alice  
"I have no idea. I haven't seen her all morning!" replied James, spurting colourful sparks from his  
wand for Harry and Neville's amusement.  
"You don't think something's happened?"  
"Nah! She said she wanted to visit a friend of hers." James missed the look of hurt that flashed across Alice's face. Just then, Dumbledore arrived.  
"Dumbledore's here!" called Frank from the garden.  
"Dumbledore? What is he doing here?" Alice asked James, who just shrugged.  
"Alice! I hear it's Neville's birthday! My goodness how they grow up fast! And little Harry is here too!" Alice looked at James, who shrugged. Dumbledore had never taken interest in children before.  
"Well!" said Dumbledore, clapping his hands, "Shall we celebrate?" It was the strangest party Alice had ever been too. At least Neville and Harry seemed to enjoy themselves but Alice couldn't help thinking Dumbledore was distracting them all from Lily's absence. It was working fairly well. Dumbledore had insisted he cook the birthday lunch and he had just appeared supporting a strange assortment of food. There were party pies whose insides where bright pink and sausage rolls that  
were a sickly green.  
"Is the food safe?" she asked, as James and Frank dug in. They didn't seem to be worrying about Lily.  
"'Course it is Alice!" said Frank. Dumbledore ate a pie and Alice tentatively bit into a sausage roll. It tasted fine, if a bit strange. Finally Dumbledore left. Alice breathed a sigh of relief. She respected Dumbledore but he was a bit too strange.  
"Well we're off Alice! Great party! See you soon!" Alice waved until she could no longer see James. She thought about Lily. Where was she? Was another friend more important than her best friend's son's birthday? Alice couldn't help but think that something more was going on and she was going to find out what.

"Hey Sirius!" yelled James from downstairs.  
"James! You're home! Is Lily with you?"  
"No. I thought she was with you!"  
"Maybe she is with Remus?"  
"Probably"  
"Can you both stop yelling from different ends of the house! I'm trying to sleep! And Lily isn't with me!" James fowned. Where could she be?  
"Maybe she is visiting Severus?" called Sirius  
"I don't think so she-"  
"WILL YOU STOP YELLING!" Remus hollered. James and Sirius met half-way up the stairs and soon Remus joined them. James passed Harry off to Remus.  
"She isn't seeing Severus because they recently had a massive fight, because she doesn't want him to be a Death Eater and he doesn't want her married to me and she is pretty mad at him."  
"Unless she has gone to say sorry?"  
"No… she still seemed mad at him."  
"Maybe Dumbledore knows where she is?"  
"Oh yeah! I bet you he does!"  
"Send a patronus to him."  
"Ok!" James pulled out his wand and spoke a message clearly to his stag patronus. "Dumbledore, just wondering where Lily is? James" The stag cantered off.  
"What the hell James? 'Dumbledore, just wondering where Lily is? James'" Sirius mocked, making his voice deep and morose. James rolled his eyes as Remus began to laugh. Harry laughed as well. Sooner than he expected, he saw a Phoenix Patronus soar into the room.  
"That was quick" muttered Sirius  
"I'm on my way" said the phoenix. Then it vanished. Soon they heard a knock.  
"Dumbledore! Where is Lily?" asked James, no sooner had Dumbledore opened the door.  
"She isn't home yet? That's a worry"  
"What do you mean?" asked James alarmed. "She was only visiting a friend."  
"In fact," said Dumbledore "She was visiting Wormtail. She has suspected he is our spy."  
"What!" roared Sirius  
"Wormtail? Never! He's our best friend!" added James.  
"Plus he is scared stiff of the Dark Lord."  
"I have suspected it too!" said Remus. James and Sirius rounded on him in surprise.  
"Well remember in our first year? He told us that he didn't have any family apart from his mum. So I was wondering why he kept telling us he was seeing an uncle that doesn't exist."  
"Did Lily go and spy on him?" asked James. Dumbledore nodded.  
"What are we waiting for?" yelped James "We have to go rescue her!" Before anyone could say anything to stop James, a female voice rang out.  
"Give me some credit James!" The men tuned to see, Lily, holding an unconscious Peter and Avery and the Marauders Map.


	11. Order Spies

"Wormtail? Wormtail!? I would never have guessed it!" Sirius shook his head in bewilderment.  
"I still can't believe you managed to get them both unconscious while you were cornered" James mused.  
"What? You don't believe I can handle myself?" Lily asked, amused.  
"Not that…" James shook his head. He was thoroughly confused. Lily had said that Avery had snuck up on her and that she had been cornered by Avery. He had the element of surprise and yet here Lily stood, both men still unconscious. He wasn't saying he wasn't glad she was alright he just felt there was something she wasn't telling them.  
"Just accept it Prongs. She's alright isn't she?" Remus replied to his bemused expression. James looked to see Dumbledore, he thought he saw a look of suspicion in the old man's face but it was gone in a flash. Dumbledore seemed to totally accept Lily's story. If Dumbledore was happy, James would learn to be happy as well.  
"Shall we go inside?" asked Lily. "I really want to see Harry."  
Sirius clapped a hand to his forehead. "The kids! I left them inside!"  
"What! Alone!?" screeched Lily.  
All the adults dashed inside to see both the boys covered in fluff. Lily groaned and Sirius howled with laughter. James looked over their heads and stifled a laugh. It seemed Harry and Neville, with the help of the cat, had demolished the couches in the living room.  
"Look mamma! Snow!" shouted Harry in delight. Neville giggled. James roared with laughter and scooped up his son. Remus picked up Neville and Lily quickly fixed the couches. As soon as the 'snow' disappeared the boys began to bawl.  
"It's ok! Look more snow!" James hastily conjured some white fluff from his wand and made it rain down on Harry, who promptly giggled. Remus did the same for Neville. With both boys happy James turned his attention to Lily, however it was Dumbledore who spoke.  
"What shall we do with the men?"  
"We could imperius them?" suggested Sirius.  
Dumbledore shook his head. "No. Voldemort would free them in an instant. He would know we had done it and would become more alert. An alert Voldemort is dangerous."  
"Then what do we do? I wouldn't mind killing them! The things they have done! Avery has killed so many of our members. And Peter!" Sirius spat "We trusted the vermin. I guess it goes to show. Don't trust rats!"  
"We will not kill them" said Dumbledore calmly.  
"I knew you would say that" said Sirius, smiling grimly.  
"Well we can modify their memory" James said  
"No Voldemort will see through that too" Dumbledore shook his head.  
"Then there is nothing else to except let them go!" said Sirius in exasperation.  
"Unless we didn't let them go" said Remus quietly.  
James whirled around in surprise. "What send them to Azkaban? The dementors side with Voldemort. They would be out in a week."  
Dumbledore shook his head. "Not if we kept them. James do you have a basement?"  
"Yes…" said James slowly.  
"We can confine them there, under special magical protection."  
"That's brilliant!" said Sirius  
"Okay" said James, slowly enthusing to the idea. "Yeah, okay. And I'll bring them food twice a day."  
"No! I'll do that!" said Lily sharply.  
"What?" said James startled.  
"Well… you can't cook James" said Lily sweetly. Sirius roared with laughter and Remus cracked a grin. James seemed to be the only one perturbed by Lily's tone. However he cracked a grin. Avery and Wormtail were carted down into the basement, where Dumbledore placed magical enchantments around. Then he left. Soon after Alice came to pick up Neville. Both the boys had fallen asleep.  
"Oh my Gosh!" said Alice after hearing Lily's story. "I knew you weren't visiting a friend!"  
Many hours later, after everyone had left, James turned to Lily and smiled.  
"Glad your home Lils." Lily smiled at James.  
"Hey I have to go out for five minutes. Go up to bed without me."  
James looked at her. "Where are you going at one o'clock at night?"  
"I just need some fresh air."  
"Do you want me to come?"  
"No I want to do it alone."  
James watched her walk down the street and then disappear from view. He sighed and went to bed.

Lily walked to the end of the street and looked around the street to see if anyone was watching. Then she quickly apparated to a big, dark manor. She entered and followed a long winding corridor. She opened a door and entered a room. It was empty of all furniture and no one was in it except a man in a dark cloak.  
"It is done master" she whispered.  
And the Dark Lord turned to face Avery and laughed his high, cold laugh.

"No Harry! Not down there!" James hurriedly scooped Harry up. That was the seventh time, that week, that Harry had tried going down to the basement. James didn't understand. Harry had never like Wormtail. Why was he trying to get down there? James sighed. He wasn't usually this careful of Harry. Lily was the one who watched Harry like a hawk, James let him have some freedom. But lately anytime Lily had come close to Harry, he had started struggling, trying to get away from her. Lily just laughed and said it was what most baby boys did. They preferred their dad. That wasn't true. James had always been a mamma's boy. He shrugged. Everyone was different though. Dumbledore hadn't called anymore order meetings since Lily got back with Wormtail. This seemed to really annoy Lily. James noticed that she spent more time alone than with him or Harry. The war seemed to be hardening her. Sirius and Remus both felt Lily's change in attitude as well. Sirius with a 'everyone changes' air and Remus with a more disconcerted air. James himself was worried for her. Maybe Avery had done something to her. When he had called a private meeting with Dumbledore, though, Dumbledore had said everything was fine. Yet Alice hadn't been over once that week, and she was always over. Harry's birthday was drawing closer and she hadn't been preparing, yet last month she had already been planning what she would do. The only people who visited were Sirius and Remus and they only came to play with Harry or talk with James. Lily never seemed to be around much. James sighed again.  
"What's up?"  
He whirled around to find Lily standing in the doorway with her hands on her hips.  
"Nothing" he grinned at her. She didn't grin back.  
"Have you seen Harry?" she asked dully.  
"Yes he is right….." James turned around. The door to the basement stood ajar. Lily snarled and went in. Before James could step a foot inside, Lily came out holding a writhing Harry.  
"And stay out!" she yelled, shoving him into James arms.  
"Lily!" said James reproachfully. But she had already left the house her red hair flicking around the corner.

"Master, the child knows!" Avery whispered.  
"Nonsense! Children don't' know anything! You look like Lily don't you? That should fool the child."  
Avery shook his head. "The child is drawn to its mother. It constantly is trying to get to her."  
"Well then watch it closely, lest you are discovered."  
"Yes master"  
"When is the next meeting?"  
Avery shuddered. "There isn't one"  
"Avery, you said that you had fooled even Albus Dumbledore. Yet he doesn't do any more Order meetings. Does he suspect you?"  
"No! No of course not My Lord! He was totally fooled."  
"Then why hasn't he had a meeting yet? My patience is waning Avery."  
"Yes My Lord"

James looked around. Lily had gone to find Dumbledore, muttering something about a meeting. He grinned to himself. Lily had been pestering for and Order meeting all week and James doubted today would be the day Dumbledore would grant her wish. Ever since yesterday, when Harry had crawled into the basement and Lily had been extremely mad, James had wondered what was down there. He knew it was dangerous for Harry to go down into the basement where to Death Eaters where being held but Lily hadn't even let him go inside. He noticed that she also only bought food for one person- not two. Maybe someone had died? It was strange that she hadn't told anyone about it though. He thought he would just have a peek and see what was going on inside. Lily wouldn't be home for another ten minutes. He would only take five. James checked to see that Harry was safe in his cot and then he quietly made his way to the basement door. He opened the door, wincing at the creaking it made. Then he descended the steps into the cool dark room of the basement. One, weak yellow light flickered in the middle of the room. James saw Wormtail shivering in a corner. He squeaked when he saw James. James looked at him with open disgust. Looking around he realised Avery wasn't in the room. There was a small, black door at the end of the room. James tried the golden handle. It was locked. Pulling out his wand he whispered- "Alohomora." There was a hiss and a click. James blinked. He hadn't expected it to be so easy. He hesitated before he turned the handle. What would he find in there? He heard Wormtail shift behind him. James imagined Avery's rotting corpse behind the door. He took a deep breath and steeled himself. He began turning the knob.

BANG!

James whirled around to find Lily standing behind him, her red hair flying out behind her. She looked angry. As enraged as when he had called Severus, Snivellus for the first time. No worse than that.  
"Sorry I was just curious. Is Avery behind that door?" his voice shook  
"Yes" her voice was deadly calm.  
"Al-alive?"  
She blinked at that. "Of course he is alive. What do you think I am? A murderer?"  
"You only bring food for one person to eat" he said, gaining some confidence as her anger ebbed.  
"Oh. Well Avery refuses to eat."  
James nodded. "Is there going to be an Order Meeting?"  
She smiled. "Yes. Yes there is" In that moment, she looked truly terrifying.

"I would like to let you all know that our spy has been caught!" called Dumbledore. Immediately everyone began whispering. James, Sirius and Remus all grinned at Lily. While Dumbledore explained the events that had occurred, James noticed Lily look around the room. It was like she had never been to headquarters before. "And now we must decide what to do next." People began shouting ideas. Dumbledore raised his hand and there was instant silence. "You are all eager. That is good. There will be a meeting at the Ministry this Wednesday that I would like some of you to attend. The Death Eater Rudolphus will be attending with Malfoy. This could be our chance to expose them. Prewett, Longbottom. You both can attend. I would also like some of you to come with me. I believe I have found the headquarters of Lord Voldemort," James heard the shudder go through the room as his name was said. He noticed that Lily also winced at the name. She never had before. "There is something there that could be invaluable to us." Shouts went up. Everyone wanted to know what it was. "This is a secret mission. Only the people involved will know what it is. Who volunteers?" Lily's hand went up straight up, as did Sirius'. James raised his hand and Remus slowly followed. "Lovely" Dumbledore clapped his hands together. James felt uneasy. For some reason he felt that Lily shouldn't come on this mission. The meeting was disclosed and the foursome got up and followed Dumbledore into a circular room. "Now I'm sure you're all dying to know what invaluable item Lord Voldemort possesses? Well, as far as I know, he possesses nothing at all."  
James and Sirius shared puzzled looks. Lily flicked her hair in annoyance.  
"But there is something you can do. Go to the Dark Lord as Avery and Wormtail and pretend you have escaped. You will be the spies for the order. The other two can come under James' invisibility cloak and search the manor while the other two distract Voldemort. I think Voldemort is hiding something. Something that is making him extremely powerful."  
Lily grinned in excitement. Something stirred in James' gut. Lily's eyes looked brown in the light.


End file.
